Warp beam



Feb.V 5, r1946. I s. N; MccAsLlN wARP EAM `Filed May 20, 1'944 www@ mwxwwm rif @MQW y Patented Feb. 5, 1946 WAR? BEAM Stanley N. McCaslin, Worcester, Mass., assigner to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcea ter, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 20, i344, Serial No. 536,533

2 Claims.

This is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 594,756, led October 2, 1943.

This invention relates to improvements in warp beams for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a head for a warp beam so constructed that it can be held against longitudinal movement along the beam barrel without being subjected to any twisting or deorming strains such as are commonly experienced in warp beams as made at the present time.

The present tendency in the weaving industry is to use warp beams of ever increasing diameter so that greater and greater lengths of warp can be wound on a beam at one time. When the diameter of the warp beams is large considerable difliculty is experienced in maintaining the selvage threads in proper position due primarily to twisting of the beam head with respect to the beam barrel. The greater the amount of warp between the beam heads the greater is the lateral pressure tending to slide the heads along the barrel, and in order to meet this condition it is customary to tighten the beam head clamping' means as much as possible.

With present beam heads, however, this practice almost always deforms the inside warp engaging surface of the head and causes it to move out of a plane perpendicular to the axis of the barrel. The result of this deformation is that certain parts of the warp space will be wider than others, and during the winding operation the selvage threads tend to pile up on each other at the narrow parts and form depressions at the wide parts of the warp space. As a result of this condition the selvage warps are alternately too tight and too loose during the unwinding which occurs as warp is let off incident to weaving.

It is an important object of my present invention to provide a warp beam head constructed with a housing or shell in which is located a clamping or holding mechanism or unit all the parts of which perform their function of preventing lateral slippage of the head without subjecting the latter to any twisting or deforming forces. One way to accomplish this result is to construct the unit so that its parts move in planes perpendicular to the barrel and parallel to the warp engaging inner surface of the head without being directly connected to the latter. By this construction no forces are brought to bear on the head which would deform it in a direction parallel to the beam barrel, and the aforesaid variation in the width of the warp space is avoided.

t is another object oi the invention to provide aioresaid housing orv shell with guides certain or" which are radial to receive pressure or clamping blocks and another of which is circular to receive a disk or ring cooperating with the blocks and rotatable in the housing to move the blocks into tight holding engagement with the beam barrel..

It is still another object ci my present inven- Y tion to provide the holding unit or mechanism which absorbs within itself all the strains incident to the clamping operation so that none of these strains are transmitted to the warp head. The clamping unit may conveniently be made of a scroll disk rotatable within the aforesaid housing and having a scroll thread engaging scroll teeth on the blocks. An important feature oi this part of the invention resides in the fact that the reaction forces incident to pressing the blocks against the barrel are all absorbed by the disk and are not exerted on the beam head.

With these and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. i. is a vertical longitudinal section through one end of a warp beam having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2--2 of Fig. i, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the scroll as viewed from the center of the beam, or from the right of Fig. l, showing part of the inclosing shell in dot and dash lines,

Fig. i is an end elevation of the disk looking in the direction of arrow it, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of one of the blocks which cooperate with the scroll shown in Fig. 3,

6 is a side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 95, Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 isan enlarged view of the shell or housand the guide means formed therewith but with the blocks and disk removed.

is view to a part of Fig. l., but with the parts detached suggesting the method of their assembly. I

Referring particularly to Fig. l, I have shown a beam barrel lil which may be formed conven ienty of a hollow steel tube provided with a smooth nished cylindrical surface on which the i `25 and the shell 370.

warp is wound. It is to be understood that Fig. 1 illustrates only one end of the warp beam, and the mechanism similar to that shown in Fig. 1 will also be carried bythe opposite end of the barrel.` A loom let-off friction head II may be made lin any convenient manner and is fastened to thel barrel as by pins I2. A supporting gudgeon 4I3 extends beyond the end of the barrel I topro` vide -means for supporting the latter either in the winding machine or loom.

V2,394ei33'- Y.

I and the disk hasla centerV bearing 41k whchfts .Y io Each end of the barrel lo win be provided with` a warp beam head I5,' although in the drawingv only one of these heads is shown. The head is provided with a web I6 having a smooth fiat warp engaging surface I1 which is perpendicularl to the barrel I. A bearing hub I8-is formed integral Y Vwith the webrand perpendicular to surface I'I and has a close t with the barrel I0. Bearing I8` holds .the web I6 with surface I 'I normallyina plane perpendicular to the axis of the beam and this relationship is not changed by operation of the holding or clamping unit to be described hereinafter. Y

As shown more particularly in Fig. '7, the web I6 l has projecting laterally therefromthree pairs of parallel walls 20. internal surfaces 2| thereof machined and parallel to provide smooth lateral guiding surfaces and that part of the web surface indicated at 22 located between the walls of each pair may also be machined in a plane perpendicular to the axis of head I5. Each pair of walls therefore provides a slot 23 which extends radially from the barrel axis and has finished side and bottom surfaces 2I and 22, respectively. The outer surface 24 of each of the walls is ground to be substantially parallel to surface 22.

. The bearing I8 is formed in three arcuate parts i 25V shown more clearly in Fig. 7. Each of these p parts 25 joins adjacent walls 20 and has the cylindrical surface 26 thereof preferably turned concentric with the axis of the barrel. Each of the which is farther from the web I6 than are the surfaces24 of the walls 20.

Also formed integral with the web'l6 is a cylinbearing I8 and the surfaces 26. The shell 30 is of substantially the same height asthe bearing parts Each pair of walls has theV around the arcuate bearing surfaces 26. Bearing 41 is of larger diameter than the inner bearing?? surface 48 of bearing I8, and it is because of this.,

relationship that the bearing I8 can have the arcuate extensions 25 and extend along barrel I0 for the fullwidth of head i5, as suggested'more particularly in the lowerpart of Fig. I'.

I Each of the guide slots 23 shownin Fig. 7 're' Y ceives a pressure or clamping block 50 shown. particularly in Figs. 5 and 6.v Eachblock has a smooth back surface 5I resting on surface 22.at

the bottom of its slot, and has also machined side That part of the `block opposite the back surface 5I is provided walls 52'which engage surfaces 2 I.

- with scrollteeth 53fwhich tthe groove 54 formed by the thread 43 of thescroll disk 40.

block is slidable radially Ain its slot 23 andthe latter extends from its pocket 32 to the inner Surface 48'of the bearing I8.

Located between each block and the barrel I0 is a pressure pad 60 which may be made of any Vtungsten 10%,to 15%, and carbon 2.5%.

tapped into'the block holds the pad to the under` i side of the latter. Thepad is not an essential part of my invention, but when used may be considered as forming a single block member with the i bearing `parts 25 has an outer fiat surface 21 Y drical shell or housing the linterior surface 3| Vof which is preferably turned concentric with thek 25 so that the outer surface thereof remote from I the'web I6 lies in the same plane as surfaces 2T. Y

The shell 30 is providedwith pockets 32 which project slightlyinto web I6 Yat the ends of theslots 23., and lugs 33 formed integral with the shell 3i! are provided with tapped holes 34 andare p formed integral with reinforcing ribs 35 cast with i the web I6.l

From an inspection of Fig. '7 it will be seen thatv the interior of the shell 30 provides acircular ring-shaped guideway between the surfaces 26 and 3| and also between the surfaces 24 of the walls 20 and the outer ends `of the bearing parts provided with a series of small holes 44 for the reception of Y`a toolror pin 45 for the purpose of i turning the disk. The shell 30 has opposite re' cessesrt through which the pin 45 projects when the'latter is used to turn `the head I5.Y Y .f Y Y L y .Y The scroll thread 43rests on the surfaces 24 the disk with respect Vto Thisspace is occupied byV/a scroll disk 40 shown more particularly in'Figs. 3

and 4. The disk has a fiat bottom surface 42,V see'V Fig. 4; and a scroll or scroll thread 43 on the opposite side thereof. The perimeter of the disk 40 is g Y es, and the blocks are siidabie anche fessiers es,

block 5o vto which it is secured.

l A positioningiplate b5V may extend'alonfg'tlne` outer surface of the? shell Sal andbe held thereto as by screws 66 tapped into the previously def` scribed holes 34V. rlhe plate confines the blocks and disk 43 within the shell 3@ and also serves to hold therscroll thread against the surfaces VV24Y of walls 2li.

to enter groove 54. The block backs 5l Awill rest against the floors or bottom surfaces 22 of the Y' slots 23, and the teeth 53 will project above the vflnished'surfaces 24, while fthe surfaces 63 on the blocks will not project beyond the surfaces124.

It is to vbe understoodjthat the three blocks are notidentical, since their teeth Y53 must be cut to t the groove 54 of the scroll disk.V Because of f Vthe fact that the blocks are approximately apart the'teeth 537' will have different positions Yfor each of the Vthree blocks. rThe disk 4G is then fitted over the bearingV surfaces 26 and adjusted until the teeth 53 of the block enter the groove 54. YThe disk is then pushed toward the web I6 until the scroll .thread 43rests on the surfaces i 24, after which the vplate 65 is placed as suggested in Fig. 1.'l After assembling, the disk seis recatable within the circular er ring-shaped Yspace previously described and located withinthe shell In operation, the assembled head with the 'clamping or holding unit or mechanisms 'formed by the disk and itsblocks are slid along the bar-V rel I0 tothe proper point,v after which the disk is turned bythe pin 45 in a direction to move the blocks 50 toward the barrel and force therpads 60 against the latter. During this 'operation the forces which Vcome into play are self-containedV Y Each' The latter is the trade name of When assembling the head parts the block.V p members are placed in their respective slots 23' in such order that their scroll teeth will be able f the position of the disk. While this latter feai in the clamping unit, that is, these forces are absorbed or confined to the disk 40 and the blocks 50 and do not eiect the head I5. Since the blocks 50 are uniformly spaced around the barrel the outwardly directed reaction forces which they exert when moved toward barrel I are distributed evenly on the disk 40, and the latter has little or no tendency to move against the surfaces 26. This is an important relationship of the parts and accounts for the fact that the surface I'I can remain truly perpendicular to the barrel I0 no matter how tightly the block members may be forced against the barrel. During this tightening operation the disk and the blocks move in planes which are perpendicular to the axis of the barrel, and the forces exerted between them have no appreciable component extending longitudinally of the barrel or directed against the head I5, and the latter can therefore remain in proper position for warp winding.

It will be understood from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 8 that the disk 4D and its blocks constitute a holding unit the parts of which have mere guiding relation with the head I5 but are not positively connected to the latter in any way. Thus, after the blocks and their pads have been set up tightly against the barrel I0 the head I5 is free to slide toward the center of the beam away from the clamping unit to some such position as indicated in Fig. 8, provided the plate 65 has been removed. The blocks, however, exert such holding forces on the barrel that the warp is not able to move the head I5 in the opposite direction, that is, to the left as viewed in Fig. l.

It is thus seen that the warp head comprises two separate parts one of which comprises the warp engaging web I 6, bearing I8, warp engaging surface I1, plate 65 and the slots 23 and the circular compartment for the disk, while the other part includes the clamping or holding mechanism or unit which is held in position and guided by the rst part, and operates in such manner as not to deform the rst part.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an improved warp beam head constructed to contain a holding unit comprising a rotatable disk and blocks slidable on the warp head toward and from the barrel I0. It will further be seen that the forces incident to tightening the block members are all self-contained Within the holding unit and do not subject the head I5 to strains which would deform it. All of the guide surfaces on the head I5 for the two parts of the holding unit, that is, the scroll and the blocks, are either perpendicular to or parallel to the axis of the barrel I0 and there are no positive connections between the head I5 and either the disk or the blocks. It will be seen particularly in Fig. 1 that the blocks are between the disk and web I6 and that because of this relationship the blocks prevent the force of the warp acting on the head I5 from reaching or materially eiecting ture is desirable it is not essential, since it is sufficient for the purposes of my present invention if the blocks be guided on the head I5 and caused to move radially by a rotatable disk or ring mounted for turning on the head. While I have shown three blocks uniformly spaced around the axis of the head I5, I am not necessarily thus limited, but the blocks should be placed so that the outwardly directed reaction forces which they exert against the disk 40 will be substantially balanced so that the disk will not be forced unduly against the surfaces 26. This condition can be met if the blocks are so distributed that they will always be on opposite sides of any diameter drawn through the axis of the head. In the actual operation of my invention the ring disk is supported by the scroll teeth of the blocks rather than by the hub I8, and the forces which come into play during the clamping operation may be thought of as starting'with the disk and passing down through the blocks to the barrel. The forces tend to expand the disk slightly, and the force involving any particular block acts along a line which if extended would pass between other blocks, hence there isa distribu- U tion of the forces Which tends to keep the disk central and prevent it from exerting objectionable pressure on the bearing I8. Another way of considering the forces is that a plane passing lengthwise through the axis of the barrel and any block will pass between other blocks,r2 with v the result that the disk is subjected to forces diverging from its center and in such directions as to eifect a practical balance of the strains within the disk.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. A clamp member for a warp barrel supported beam head having a scroll rotatable thereon, said member having scroll teeth thereon for engagement with the scroll, a pad on one end of the member for engagement with the barrel, and means securing the pad to the member including a tongue and groove connection between the pad and member.

2. A clamp member for a warp barrel supported beam head having a scroll rotatable thereon, said member having a body providedwith scroll teeth extending from one side of said body across the latter to the opposite side thereof for engagement with the scroll,` a pad at one end of the member for engagement with the barrel, and means securing the pad to the member including a tongue and groove connection between the pad and member extending from said one side of the member to said opposite side thereof.

STANLEY N. McCASLIN. 

